George Martin, (22 September 1864 – 19 December 1946) was a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

who gave up his

living Living or The Living may refer to: Common meanings *Life, a condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms ** Living species, one that is not extinct *Personal life, the course of an individual human's life * Hu ...

and went to

Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...

, where he became known among the poor as the 'modern St Anthony'. George Martin was born in

St Breward St Breward ( kw, S. Bruwerd) is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is on the western side of Bodmin Moor, about 6 miles (10 km) north of Bodmin. At the 2011 census the parish population including Cooksland ...

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

, son of the George Martin (a priest and

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...

) and educated at

Blundell's School Blundell's School is a co-educational day and boarding independent school in the English public school tradition, located in Tiverton, Devon. It was founded in 1604 under the will of Peter Blundell, one of the richest men in England at the tim ...

in Tiverton and at St John's College in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

, gaining his

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

(BA) in 1886, and his

Cambridge Master of Arts In the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts are promoted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts (MA) on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university (including years as an u ...

(MA Cantab) in 1890. Martin was ordained a

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

in Truro in 1887 and priest in 1888. From 1887–91 he was curate of Duloe in Cornwall, 1891–93 curate of

Marhamchurch Marhamchurch ( kw, Eglosvarwenn) is a civil parish and village in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Marhamchurch village is situated south of Bude off the A39 road. The Civil Parish population at the 2011 census was 837. History The ...

and, 1893–99, rector of Caerhayes. On giving up his living Martin went to Southwark, where he was known among the poor as the 'modern St Anthony' and it was said he ‘possessed an influence almost hypnotic and a power for good that was irresistible’. Martin tramped the streets of Southwark in a ragged

frock coat A frock coat is a formal men's coat characterised by a knee-length skirt cut all around the base just above the knee, popular during the Victorian and Edwardian periods (1830s–1910s). It is a fitted, long-sleeved coat with a centre vent at th ...

helping the poor of the borough, lodging in the same small cell-like room for 48 years and subsisting mainly on bread and margarine. Having lived for many years in apparent penury, on his death left a considerable estate, leaving £1000 to St John's College to provide assistance for students from Cornwall reading for Holy Orders and the residue to the Bishop of Southwark and the Mayor for the poor of that borough.

References

‘Mysterious Saint’, The Milwaukee Sentinel, 17 January, 1948
*The bequests of the Rev. George Martin, The Times, Tuesday, 6 May 1947 (pg. 7; Issue 50753; col C)
Martin, George, ACAD Cambridge Alumni Database
*Church Times, 27 December 1946 {{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, George 1864 births 1946 deaths People educated at Blundell's School Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge 19th-century English Anglican priests Clergy of the Diocese of Truro People from St Breward